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Friday, April 1, 2011

I Wanna Conquer the World!

I DO want to conquer the world! But, hey, a few projects will do for now....

I have this uncanny knack of taking on the world, getting overwhelmed and retreating back into my little cocoon having done nothing. I have a sneaking suspicion that it could be a 'woman' thing. Ya know?.....taking on too much? Crumbling at the daunting task of it all? I mean, come on.....can we possibly brush our teeth twice a day, floss, keep our legs perfectly-shaven, avoid all blemishes on our face, keep our homes pristine clean, raise amazingly perfect children, kill it in our careers, slay it in the kitchen every night and be the most amazing wife ever created on this earth every damn day of our lives?!! (Let's not even address the weight and fitness issues here.) Well.....the answer is obvious. So why do we strive for just that? Why do we push ourselves to such levels? Where is the time in that equation to actually be productive on worthwhile projects and enjoy the process along with way?

So, with that....I will admit, I haven't shaved my legs in two days (nothing that a pair of jeans won't cover), I am probably going to call for pizza tonight and my house....well.....no one's coming over, so a little mess here and there will have to wait. I have a 1940's Secretary's desk to re-finish. Posted here are the "before" pictures.

This is a Secretary's Desk built in the 1940's that has been in my possession since I set up my first apartment after college. It belonged to my paternal grandmother, Deedee. I have distinct memories of it in her home during my childhood years. I can almost smell Deedee's Crisco-topped, Southern biscuits baking. I can also hear her telling me some tall tale about this desk. Yep....tall tales existed on that side of my family.....typical Southerners. Always stretching the truth to fit their colorful stories. If I recall correctly, and I believe I have an excellent memory, she said that this piece came into her family when she was young and was made in the late 1800's. "Wow!" I thought, "Must be worth something!" It wasn't until this past month, yep that long down the road, that I decided to investigate the value of this little charmer. I thought I had a real treasure here.

Ahhh........snagged! If she were still alive, she would be well over 100 years old. She almost "made it onto Willard Scott's segment" as she use to put it. (I will assume here that you know all about Willard Scott and the Today Show. If not, do a Google search and figure it out.) Anyway, she isn't here and I cannot call her on her bull. So, I must move on hoping that she knows I caught her and her rosy pink little lipstick in another fib!

On with the project..... I am going to paint this desk. Yes, that's right. Paint it. I have some ideas on what I want to do and I will update you as the process continues. Before all you "but I love that flame mahogany wood" defenders speak, let me remind you. I own this little gem of a desk....it is in my home and is way way too dark for my tastes. Color....oh, color.....what do you have in store for this little girl.

More images below.

A little detail shot. Yes, Karla, that is your little "curly" pitcher right there, along with a Jack Troy cup. I think I want to do something here with color that helps my pottery collection pop!

I think I want to leave some of the original wood untouched.. So I will remove these drawer pulls and keep them the same. If you look at the top part of this image above, you will see evidence left from my long lost Sushi. Sushi was the most wonderful Silver Point Siamese Cat. I had to adopt her to a new home a few years back because my son's allergies to cats had reached epic proportions. I miss her, but it is time to do something about the damage that she inflicted on this piece of furniture. Stay tuned. Oh, and.......go brush those teeth! Sheesh!